Flange-lubricator.



T. F. BELLHOUSE.

FLANGE LUBRIQATOR.

APPLlCATlON FlLED JULY 12. $918.

Patented Mar. 11,1919.

2 SHEETSSHEET 1.

Fig.1

INVENTOR. T]? 0122623]? Be 6 Mouse TTORNEY T. F. BELLHOUSE. FLANGE LUBRICATOR.

APPLECATIOH FILED JULY :2, I918.

Patented Mar. 11,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

V INVENTOR. WwmasFBell/zouse BY S gATToRNEY STATES i a I THOMAS F. BELLI-IOUSTEI, OF SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA.

FLANGE-LUBRICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 11, 1919.

Application filed July 12, 1918. Serial No. 244,517.

To'aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS F. BELL- HOUSE, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Sacramento, in the county of Sacramento and State of California, have invented certain'new and useful Improvements in Flange-Lubricators; and I do declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the character of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application. i

This inventionrelates to flange lubricators for the drive wheels of locomotives, the present application being an improvement over the type on which I obtained Letters Patent No. 1,059,021, dated April 15th, 1913.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a constant trickle of boiling water to run down the oil pipe whereby any accumulation of dirt in the end of the lubricator pipe, where the same bears against the flange, is washed away. This is a con stant source of annoyance when flange lubricators' areused on yard engines and the like and when crossing streets and roads where the tracks are always laid at street grade level and the wheels. as a consequence pick up dust and dirt which finally stops the flow of oil and prevents lubrication of the flanges.

At the same time, this hot water keeps up .the temperature of the oil pipe and the swab thereon incold weather, so that the oil does not thicken and refuse to flow.

A further object of the invention is to provide a means for heating the oil reservoirs of the lubricator with steam from the exhaust of the air pump, which steam will be condensed before leaving the'steam jacket. Live steam, when discharged at a lower level than the engineers cab-window, rises past the same and, especially in cold weather, rapidly condenses to a mist which settles on the cab windows and obscures the engineers vision, and it is therefore very objectionable to have any steam discharging at such a level, and the interstate laws expressly state that no steam from whatever source may interfere with the vision of the enginemen.

A still further object is to produce a simple and inexpensive and easily operated device for the purposes for which it is de signed.

Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on aline 7 44 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the oil discharge pipe with the sliding sleeve thereon in section.

Fig. 6 is a side view of the sliding sleeve.

Fig. 7 is a cross section taken on a line 77 of Fig. 5.

'Referring now more, particularly to the figures of reference on the drawings, 1 designates one of the forward drive wheels of a steam locomotive and 2 the flange thereof.

3 is the main frame of the engine to which is bolted a bracket 4 one end of which is clamped around the discharge pipe 5 from an oil cup or reservoir 6. The pipe 5, below the clamp 4t, is'bent to adesired angle and is flattened to an oval shape, as at 7, below the bend for the remainder of its length. Freely lslidable over the portion 7 is a metal sleeve or swab 8 which is also oval shaped to conform to the shape of the pipe 7.

The lower end of the sleeve is curved, as at 10, to fit the curve of the wheel 1 and flange 2 with which it frictionally engages. V A plurality of holes 11 are drilled in the sides of the pipe T near the lower end thereof, registering approximately with holes 12 drilled in the metal sleeve 8.

In operation, the edge 10 projects below the end of the pipe 6 so that this edge is the only point of the device in contact with the flange 2, against which it constantly bears due to the looseness of the fit of the pipe 8 on the pipe 7 and the action of gravity thereon.

To keep the lubricant of the cup in a fluid condition in any kind of weather so that it will flow freely, I provide a boss 13 011 the side of the reservoir 6 which is cored or drilled out to form a. steam chamber 14 into the top of which is secured a steam pipe 15 which is connected to the exhaust pipe 16 of the air pump 17 of the locomotive at a point higher than the level of the chamber 14. A valve 18 is set in the pipe 15 near its connection with the pipe 16 whereby the supply of steam to the chamber 14 may be regulated or cut off if desired.

The bottom end of the chamber 14 is tapped to receive the threaded end of a plug 19 through which is a small bleed hole 20 leading from the chamber 14 to the open air and so. positioned that drips therefrom will strike the to of the pipe 5 just at or below the bend thereof. A valve 21 suitably positioned in the bottom of the oil reservoir 6 regulates the flow of oil to the pipe 5, and is maintained in any desired position by a spring dog 22 on a handle 23 coacting with a circular notched member 24 projecting from the reservoir 6.

Th top of the reservoir is of course fitted with a suitable cap 25.

In the operation of the device, supposing the air pump to be working and a supply of exhaust steam coming through the pipe 16, a certain percentage of this steam flows through the pipe 15 into the chamber 14, warming the entire reservoir owing to the heat conductivity of the metal thereof. The bleed hole 20 being very small, however, the steam cannot readily escape and it condenses to pass out of this hole as boiling water and drip on the pipe 1. The water then runs down between the pipe 7 and the sleeve 8 and breaks up and washes out any accumulation of dirt at the mouth 10, besides warming the oil in the pipe 7 and causing the same to flow readily.

Y'Vhen the air pump is not in operation, a drippage of condensed steam still flows down the pipe 15 to heat the reservoir, this drippage being in all cases sufficient for the purpose until the air pump starts operating again.

The'holes 11 in the pipe 7 permit of the passage of oil therethrough at all times and especially if the end of the pipe should be badly clogged, while the holes 12 permit of the passage of some of the oil to the outside the sleeve 8, the oilthen running down the sleeve and so continuing to lubricate the flange even if the mouth 10 should be stopped up. This feature would probably be incorporated only in such cases where a supply of condensed steam was not available to keep the ends of the pipe free from irt.

From the foregoin description, it will readily be seen that I%1avepr0duced such a device as substantially fulfils the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice, such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of th invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A flange lubricator comprising an oil cup, a discharge. pipe therefrom, an oifset steam chamber integral with the oil cup, and a vertical bleed hole discharging from said steam chamber onto the outer surface of the discharge pipe, the bleed hole being of such small diameter that the steam in the chamber will be held back from free exit therefrom and will condense and drip from the bleed hole in the form of water.

2. A flange lubricator comprising an oil cup, a discharge pipe therefrom, said pipe bein bent toward the horizontal at a desired point and angle and flattened to an oval shape for the remainder of its length, and a metal sleeve loosely slidable on the oval shaped pipe and extending beyond the end of the same, the oval shaped pipe having holes registering with holes in the metallic sleeve whereby the oil may flow between the pipe and the sleeve and also to the outside of the sleeve.

3. A flange lubricator comprising an oil cup, a discharge pipe therefrom, said pipe bein r bent toward the horizontal at a desired point and angle, a sleeve slidable loosely over said discharge pipe below the bend and bearing against the Wheel flange at its lower end, a steam chamber alongside and integral with the oil cup, a plug in the bottom of the chamber and a vertical bleed hole in the plug positioned centrally above the pipe at the bend thereof whereby the condensed steam from the bleed hole will drip on the pipe and run down between it and the sleeve to loosen and wash out any accumulation of dirt in the end of the sleeve bearing against th flange. f

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS F. BELLHOUSE.

Witnesses A B. WALTENSPIEL, WILLIAM KocH.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

